Thierrry Henry: A legend retires in quotes

On Arsenal: “I’m obsessed by the idea of making my mark on history. And Arsenal is my paradise.”

“Arsenal is in my blood as well as my heart. I will always, always, always remember you guys. I said I was going to be a Gooner for life and I did not lie because when you are a Gooner, you will always be a Gooner. This club is in my heart and will remain in my heart forever.”

Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger “Thierry Henry could take the ball in the middle of the park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score.”

Arsenal former striker Dennis Bergkamp: “If you look at the whole package, with everything Henry has, I don’t think you can find that anywhere else. You give him the ball in the right place and his acceleration will take him past any defender in the world.”

Arsenal former midfielder Patrick Vieira: “Thierry is the best striker in the world. By far he’s the best in the world. Thierry doesn’t just score goals. Even when he’s not having a good day he can make an important pass. He is a strong character. If things go wrong, he bounces straight back. His effect on the club is very big.”

You have scored good goals in the MLS. Is life in the United States like a second youth? “Living in New York was always a dream of mine and to be able to play in the MLS and help promote the league is an honour. I wouldn’t say its like a second youth but for sure I am enjoying my time”.

How do people live soccer in the USA?“Soccer is still growing in USA but weekly you can see see it is growing in the right direction. Stadiums are definitely more crowded on match days than when I first arrived”.

How do you think France will do at the Brazil World Cup?“I hope we do well obviously but as you can imagine it is going to be hard. There are so many strong nations competing, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Germany..I won’t name everyone but as you can see it’s going to be very hard”.

About his time with Barça in that era?“We created history and not only by winning 6 titles within a year but also playing football the right way, the Barca way. That Barca team will be remembered forever in the history of the game”.

What do you miss about Barça?“The club, the training, the fans, everyone that works within the club, the football, my favourite restaurant Da Greco haha, basically everything”.

Last words from his coach at Monaco and Arsenal – Wenger: “His sensational career was down simply to Thierry’s class. He is a player who had everything you dream of as a manager – physical potential, a technical level, super intelligence and what people also forget for many top level athletes, is he was dedicated to his job, with a very serious life. He is simply a model professional who won everything you can in our world – Thierry, you were really special.”